The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1887-07-20

served, she laid her head upon her pill
low moro lightly than usual-all for
one kind word. Poor little Janet.
But evil days were too surely ut
hand.
IT made Mrs. Titus very cross to lie
i'll bed, inactive, and she could not give
up the oversight Of the Kitchen below.
a score Of times day she " -',
Janet from her work TO know what sho
was at, and what shc intended doing
next. Countless orders issued from her
chamber.
These idiosyncracies added greatly
to Janct's fatigue, as she toilcd through
the day, and she actually sobbcd with
WEAKNESS one night. when slo COM
mcnccd to bring in tho wood.
She was standing in the woodshcd.
Suddenly shc heard q step OH the gravel
Of the path in the yard.
It was Mr.. Dent. lie had not gone.
Ilc came swinging along in his Shirt
sleeves, his linen duStcr over his arm.
How rich, and prosperous, and happy
he was
Janet did not desire to dispossess
Mr.. Dent of his good-fortune, but she
thought it hard that a little Of the
brightness Of life could not bo hers.
But when Mr.. Dent came opposite
the shed-door, the happy light died out
Of his pleasant gray eyes.
Well it might. Janet did not dream
what q pitiful sight her poor little tear
stained faco was.
Mr.. Dent spoke chccrily.
"All work and no play makes Jill a
dull girl, doesn't it2" he said, taking
the basket from her hand and in Il mo-
ment carrying it, loaded, into the kitch-
Ell. "You have too much to do; tho
spirit is willing, but tho flesh is weak. )"
When Mr.. Dent had filed tho big
wood-boNcs SO the covers would hardly
shut down, he said:
"N1y arms are strong, and they Shall
be at your service while 1 stay here.
though it will DO only Il day or two
longer. J. shall DO quite at leisure to-
morrow OF next day, and you can call
on me whenever you like"
Much as Janet was pleased, sho never
would have dreamed Of TAXI q The gen
tlcman at his word; but the next morn
ing proved q rainy one, SO that MI.
DENTS chamber, being cold and no fire
Lighted in the sitting-room, he camo
into the Kitchen with his book and
cnsconccd himself in the great rocking
chair beside the stove.
That was tho pleasantcst day Of
Janct's life. Mr.. Dent told her such
funny stories, and read so beautifully
from his great book and then, he fill
ed the water-pails, and kept the fire
burning, and jumped up to lift Tic
heavy tubs for her, and sat down again
TO keep the bread from burning. while
shc carried Mrs. Titus dinner up,
And while he was doing all this, Mr..
Dent was thinking what a dear little
patient thing she was, and how pretti-
ly the nut-brown hair curlcd over her
head.
At night ho filled the boxes with
wood, strained tho milk, wound tho
high clock and turned the cats out; and
all day he had had a jest for everything,
and genial glance and kind tone,
that turned darkness into light for
Janet.
She sighed with Happiness as she
went to sleep, though Mrs Titus
goodnight word had been that "shc
was lazy, good-for-nothing thing!o
and that She "should DO down stairs to-
morrow to SEQ what Janet was llp to.n
Tho northeast storm continued, and
Mr.. Dent was sitting by the fire again,
when Mrs. Titus limped into the kitch.
en- with cane.
Now, Mr.. Dent had just been chop-
ping mincc-mcat, with Mrs. Titus,
gingham apron and ruled cap on, and
had barely cast them aside, when Tho
lady opened the door and caught Janet
She might well have looked amazed.
Tor she never had seen Janet laughing
before. Now, why she probably could
not have told, but Mrs. Titus was very
much offended.
She waited until dinner was served,
and Janet had gono into tho wcll-room
70 cool the pudding then sho began q
bitter trade:
"rretty business this is, giggling and
ioollng your timo away, and everything
to dol Mr.. Dents been reading poetry
to you, has he2 How much more